Previews

Mass Effect

Once you're on a planet, you'll need to make yourself acquainted with the local citizens, many of whom don't take kindly to strangers. The combat system in Mass Effect is straight-up third-person shooter action, meaning you can take down enemies in real time instead of having to take turns attacking each other. You'll be supported by two other NPCs (selected from a larger crew), and you'll actually be able to switch to them at any point during battle, meaning you can jump to a pal for a better angle on a shot.

There's also a surprisingly robust command system, which allows you to pause the game during battle and issue waypoint-based movements. The combat looked like fun, especially since there will be plenty of destructible environments that can be used to kill your foes. We actually saw the demoer maneuver his men in order to push their foes into position before crushing them with a well placed shot at a stone bridge support.

Not surprisingly, given the level of customization found in their previous RPGs, BioWare has included plenty of options in Mass Effect. You'll be able to customize everything from your character's look to his core abilities, and they'll be able to specialize in a number of skills (our demoer was a combat specialist) that will affect how the game plays. You'll also be able to mod many of your weapons and your gear, and we got a chance to see a rifle with fire shells set an enemy ablaze. There will be mods and unique items spread around the galaxy, so it definitely pays to be thorough.

Mass Effect has a lot of things going for it, including a cool combat system and tons of customization options. I was most impressed, however, with the conversation system and the virtual "acting," which made the game feel more like an interactive movie than a game. The characters look and act realistically, particularly if you look at their eyes, which actually show a wide range of emotions. Once again, BioWare has pushed the limits of the genre, and we can guarantee that you've never seen an RPG like this one.